Mullet roe is the salt-cured, pressed, and sun-dried ovaries of mullet (grey mullet), a traditional Taiwanese cured seafood. Keelung's Kantingding Fish Market lights up before dawn, vendors taking their positions by fish type as the catch glistens under fluorescent lights; when the mullet season arrives each November, the stalls fill with those swollen, golden-yellow ovaries, a faint nutty fragrance mingling with the briny sea smell. Kantingding is one of northern Taiwan's key mullet landing ports, and during this season, buying directly at the market or tasting it freshly grilled is the most direct way to experience this prized catch.
The Ministry of Agriculture (upgraded from the former Council of Agriculture in August 2023) sets the mullet season as November through late January, with the peak roughly around the ten days surrounding the winter solstice. Kantingding Fish Market traces back to the Qing dynasty, originally a fish-unloading dock on the banks of Keelung's Xuchuan River; today it sits on Xiao-yi Road in Ren'ai District and is officially described as one of northern Taiwan's largest wholesale fresh-seafood markets, trading from around 1 a.m. to 7 a.m., busiest around 4 a.m.
What is Mullet Roe
Mullet roe is the ovaries of mullet (also called grey mullet). After extraction, they are salt-cured, pressed into shape, and sun-dried in the wind. The finished product is a flattened oval, amber-colored, semi-transparent egg sac — dry on the outside with some elasticity remaining inside. The most common way to eat it is with an alcohol singe: a rice wine or sorghum liquor flame is passed over the surface to burn off the thin outer membrane before slicing, then eaten alongside thin slices of daikon radish or garlic sprouts. The flavor is rich and layered — the briny freshness of fish roe, the depth of curing, and a subtle oiliness.
Mullet migrates southward through the Taiwan Strait with the Kuroshio Current each winter. The Fisheries Agency of the Council of Agriculture officially lists the mullet season as November through January of the following year, peaking in mid-to-late December. As a major fish-unloading port in northern Taiwan, Keelung's Kantingding Fish Market can receive mullet directly during the season — some vendors extract the roe and process it on-site, and some shops offer a freshly grilled option. Unlike Tainan or Taichung, where mullet roe is sold primarily as a processed product, Kantingding during the season offers an experience closer to the raw-material end of the supply chain.
How to appreciate it like a local
Local knowledge
Objective credentials
- The Fisheries Agency of the Council of Agriculture officially lists the mullet season as November through January each year, with peak activity in mid-to-late December — this is a publicly available official document.
- Trading records from Kantingding Fish Market confirm that Keelung Harbor is a major mullet landing port in northern Taiwan, supported by official fishery statistics.
- Kantingding is a traditional wholesale fish market near Chongren Road, Renai District, Keelung City, with a history traceable to the Qing dynasty.
Visitor tips
- Visiting outside the season means you can only purchase dried, processed mullet roe — you cannot experience freshly processed roe on-site. Confirm your visit falls between November and January.
- Kantingding Fish Market is in Renai District, Keelung City, about a 10-minute walk from Keelung Train Station.
- The fish market is primarily wholesale-oriented. When buying retail, ask whether the stall accepts individual customers — not all vendors sell to the general public.
Sources: Fisheries Agency of the Council of Agriculture mullet season announcements; Kantingding Fish Market trading records. Photos pending Dio's on-site shoot for exclusive channel footage.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is mullet roe in season?
The mullet season runs from November through late January, with the catch peaking around the ten days surrounding the winter solstice — the best window to buy fresh roe at Kantingding Fish Market.
What's the traditional way to eat mullet roe?
The traditional method is to singe off the surface membrane with rice wine or sorghum liquor, slice it about 0.3 to 0.5 centimeters thick, and pair it with daikon radish slices or garlic sprouts to cut the richness.
What time should I visit Kantingding Fish Market?
Official trading hours run from about 1 a.m. to 7 a.m.; general visitors are advised to arrive after 5 a.m., once most wholesale trading has wound down and vendors are more open to retail sales.
How does Kantingding's mullet roe differ from Tainan's or Taichung's?
During the season, Kantingding gets raw mullet directly from Keelung Harbor, with some vendors processing the roe on-site — an experience closer to the source — while Tainan and Taichung mainly sell it as a finished processed product.
Sources
- 臺灣烏金 — 農業部漁業署公告烏魚汛期(11月至翌年1月，高峰約冬至前後10天)
- 崁仔頂漁市 — 基隆市政府觀光局官方介紹，交易時段約凌晨1點至上午7點
- 崁仔頂魚市｜國家文化記憶庫 — 歷史沿革，可追溯至清治時期，約30多家漁販店舖